Anti-epidemic measures are a combination of medical and preventive, sanitary and hygienic and administrative measures. Recently, very few people are interested in the epidemic situation in a particular region or a particular city, even in those seasons when it is most relevant. However, infectious diseases spread rapidly in winter, autumn and spring.
How to prevent this?
At the same time, it is important not only to rely on doctors, but also to take independent measures that will not allow viruses to spread. Thus, anti-epidemic measures lie on the shoulders of not only medicine, but also the people themselves. Each person should remember that the spread of dangerous diseases can depend on his actions.
To begin with, it is necessary to indicate what anti-epidemiological manipulations are. The sanitary and anti-epidemiological regime means a set of measures:
- treatment and prevention;
- hygienic;
- administrative.
It can be noted that this is a huge set of actions. They are mainly aimed at localization, elimination and suppression of infectious foci.
Anti-epidemiological measures in the focus of infection are carried out after a thorough examination, which includes the establishment of a source of he alth hazard. It is extremely important to understand from whom this or that patient became infected, where the infection could go further in order to prevent its subsequent spread, because in some cases this is fraught with large-scale consequences. After receiving all the necessary information, an epidemiologist needs to analyze it and take appropriate measures that are aimed at eliminating infectious foci.
It is interesting that epidemiologists have practically no contact with patients and work exclusively with information data, conduct a thorough detailed analysis, which saves many lives.
So, as we have already said, the sanitary and anti-epidemiological regime means a set of measures. Consider them in more detail.
Sanitary measures
The main thing that implies holdinganti-epidemic measures are sanitary and hygienic principles. They are very important because they form the basis of human he alth, as well as the basis that reduces the susceptibility of people to certain infectious diseases. This, of course, does not guarantee that infectious pathologies will pass by. However, if simple hygiene standards are followed, the risk that a person gets sick is significantly reduced. These measures include the study by medical specialists of such areas of human life as working conditions, features of work, physical development, everyday life, occupational morbidity.
What else do anti-epidemiological sanitary and hygienic measures mean?
In everyday life, medical workers take part in the promotion of hygiene, the norms of people's behavior. This direction of work in extreme conditions is becoming even more relevant. Another line of work in such conditions is the conduct of various hygienic studies and examination of food and water.
When implementing sanitary and anti-epidemiological measures, food and water samples are taken, which are sent for analysis to the CG and E (SEA) to study hazardous substances and microorganisms in them for humans. Based on the results of such analyzes, a conclusion is drawn up on the suitability of such food products and water for use by the population.
Hygienic Objects
Hygienically significant objects are taken under strict control, as damaged and destroyed (for example, in the areadisasters) and functioning. These objects include:
- sewerage and water supply systems;
- catering, food industry and food trade enterprises;
- children's school and preschool institutions;
- communal service utilities;
- housing stock;
- he alth care facilities;
- locations for evacuees, such as during a natural disaster;
- locations of rescue teams, EMF teams and brigades;
- industrial facilities that can be sources of bacterial contamination, exposure to ionizing radiation, etc.
Sanitary control over the current and final disinfection at food enterprises that serve the population is of great importance. This applies to food outlets, temporary and outdoor outlets.
Cure and preventive measures
Another set of anti-epidemic measures is therapeutic and preventive measures. The main actions that are included in this complex are mainly aimed at neutralizing viruses, epidemiological surveillance and improving the quality of medical care. During seasonal epidemics, an additional number of specialists from different clinical areas are connected to polyclinics. At this time, quarantine is often declared in kindergartens and schools.
Quarantine is a series of regime and restrictiveanti-epidemic measures that are aimed at isolating (limiting contacts) a suspected or infected person (group of people), cargo, animal, product, settlement, districts, territories, regions, etc. This contributes to a significant reduction in the number of contacts and, therefore,, reduces the likelihood of the spread of infectious diseases.
Explanatory work with people
In addition, anti-epidemic measures should be aimed at explanatory work with people. It is usually aimed at conveying to the population information about the symptoms of an infectious disease and that it is recommended to reduce visits to crowded places.
In the system of this type of events, medical control over the he alth of the working population is extremely important. It is mandatory to carry out preliminary (when hiring) and periodic medical examinations. The main task of such examinations is the timely detection of the initial stages of the disease and the prevention of complications and infection of people around.
The main activities from the category of treatment and prevention are:
- outpatient treatment;
- spa therapy and disease prevention;
- inpatient treatment;
- medical examination.
Also, the sanitary and anti-epidemiological regime includes administrative measures. Let's consider them in more detail below.
Read more about administrative measures
A number of administrative measures also directly affect the success of anti-epidemic measures. This means that the authorities directly help to normalize the epidemiological situation through the adoption of any decisions. Regional and municipal administrations, ministries of education and he alth, heads of various organizations and institutions can take part in this set of measures.
All administrative measures must be carried out in a timely manner, because it is impossible for the situation to get out of control of doctors, since infectious pathologies threaten the entire society. Activities must be carried out quickly and thoughtfully. The elimination of the infectious focus can be carried out only after an epidemiological diagnosis of a specific situation has been made.
Special examinations
Epidemiologists conduct special examinations, which include:
- survey of patients and people who have been in contact with them;
- examination of foci of infection;
- study of documentation (housing, medical, etc.);
- studying sanitation;
- laboratory tests of an infected person;
- observation during the incubation period.
After receiving the results, you can begin to draw up a plan of anti-epidemic measures.
Main tasks and goals of the event
The main taskanti-epidemiological measures is an effective influence on the factors (links, elements) of the epidemic process in order to stop the circulation of an infectious agent in the outbreak. Therefore, such measures are aimed at its neutralization, breaking the mechanisms of its transmission and increasing the levels of immunity to the pathogen of persons exposed to the likelihood of infection in the outbreak.
However, for various infectious pathologies, the significance of individual measures is not the same. So, for example, in case of intestinal infectious diseases, general sanitary measures are effective to eliminate the ways of transmission of infection and neutralize its foci, while in the elimination of a focus of respiratory tract infections (measles, diphtheria), immunization of children in the territory of this focus dominates. Measures aimed at neutralizing the source of infection also differ in anthroponoses and zoonoses. The most radical and used forms of neutralizing the focus of an anthroponotic infection are early isolation and hospitalization.
Hospitalization in the infectious ward
Timely hospitalization helps to successfully cure the patient, but it ensures, above all, the cessation of the spread of infection among those who communicate with the patient and in the environment. The patient is hospitalized in the infectious diseases department, and in the absence of this possibility - in a special hospital, subject to compliance with anti-epidemic regimes. However, with whooping cough, measles, influenza and other infections, when most patients stay at home, conditions are created that maximally prevent he althy people from communicating with them andthereby preventing them from becoming infected.
Medical Surveillance
Medical observation is being established for people who have been in contact with the source of infection. Depending on the nosological form of infectious diseases, a daily survey is conducted about the state of he alth, the nature and frequency of stools, daily thermometry, skin examination, examination for pediculosis, examination of the eyes and mucous membranes, palpation of the lymph nodes, liver and spleen. In addition, immunological and bacteriological studies are being carried out, and environmental objects are being studied.
We reviewed the organization and conduct of anti-epidemic measures.
